Road safety charity Brake described the enforcement of driving laws as ‘woefully inadequate’ and called for police forces to be given more resources to catch motorists who are disobeying the rules of the road.

Official figures show a fall in the number of drivers in England and Wales being caught using a mobile phone on the road.

Ministry of Justice data shows that the number of convictions for using a mobile phone while driving has halved from 32,547 in 2010 to 16,093 last year.

The number of fixed penalty notices issued has plummeted by 84% since 2011.

The Government has proposed doubling the punishment for illegal phone use by drivers.

Motorists caught using a handheld phone are currently given three penalty points and a minimum fine of £100, but this is set to be increased to six points and £200.